New facility to offer a fresh start to women experiencing homelessness in Fresno

The Poverello House, in partnership with St. Agnes Medical Center, officially opened Naomi’s House at Holy Cross with a ribbon-cutting ceremony Friday morning.

The newly renovated facility will serve as an emergency shelter for women experiencing homelessness, offering 34 beds and a path toward stability.

“This is a beautiful moment,” said Zack Darrah, CEO of the Poverello House. “Today is about legacy—about the legacy of the Sisters of the Holy Cross and the more than 40 years of partnership we’ve had with St. Agnes.”

The project is rooted in the work of the Sisters of the Holy Cross, who created the original Mission Center for Women. That space had long served as a daytime haven for unhoused women, offering vocational classes and a safe refuge from abusive or unstable situations.

“When it started, the reason was that the sisters saw all of the unhoused women who needed respite during the daytime,” said Dr. Gurvinder Kaur with St. Agnes Medical Centers. “They needed to come here and be able to get back on their feet by learning some vocational courses.”

The pandemic forced the Mission Center to rethink how it provided support. In response, St. Agnes partnered with the Poverello House to expand services, ultimately leading to the creation of Naomi’s House as a transitional, overnight shelter.

“So, we partnered with Poverello in extending the Naomi House, where women can have transitional housing overnight,” Dr. Kaur said.

While Naomi’s House will offer short-term emergency shelter—typically for 90 to 120 days—the larger goal is lasting transformation.

“This place is about helping women end their homelessness for good,” Darrah said.

Dr. Kaur echoed that sentiment: “Naomi’s House offers more than a roof. It’s a place to rebuild—physically, mentally, and spiritually. I think this place can provide that option for women.”